Husband has terrible pain in face...?

Question

In his tooth, jaw, cheek, throat and head...it kind of spreads out through that entire area.

Has been like this for about 2 months..the Doctor said he thought it was neuralgia..prescribed tegretol but it didn't work; actually caused intense pain. The center of the pain seems to be the tooth, but sometimes can't really tell for sure..it spreads out everywhere.

Should my husband go to the hospital or the dentist..Pain killers do not work....thats why i'm wondering if it's a tooth problem...Pain eases when he swirls cool water around in his mouth but that only lasts for about 5 min. He says he's also feeling pressure in his lower temple next to his eye. This is all on the left side of his face.

Any thoughts, suggestions, ideas are appreciated.

Thanks.

Answer 1

I made the mistake of seeing a dentist for face pain and ended up with a root canal and a capped tooth......for what turned out to be a terrible Sinus Infection. It can really feel like it's your teeth, but because it's the sinus cavities in your head, the pain can move around. I'm surprised the Dr. didn't try an antibiotic (since its been a Lot more than 10 days, so its less likely to be a virus.). I'd try another Dr. before a Dentist. The Dr. I recently saw said that sinus infections and related headaches have been rampant this year.

Answer 2

It could be several different things causing the pain. It sounds like nerve pain, thats why some one suggested it could be neurolgia-trigeminal neurolgia is the term and has to do with the inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, but he is not having any numbness in the face so that is most likely not the culprit.
I have found, being a medical massage therapist, that people/physicians that cannot find a cause for the pain usually means there is a trigger point located somewhere that is referring pain to a specific area of the body, thus the reason pain remedies will not work.
My suggestion before he goes through the gammit of tests and x-rays is to press around at the area of the upper back, on the same side as the pain is occurring, around the edge of the scapula and see if you can find a spot that the pain intesifies. If you know a reputable massage therapist or acupuncturist in your area that is familiar with trigger point locations you should give it a try, you may be suprised that it can be dissipated in one visit. Good luck!

Answer 3

OMG! OMG! I had this! This is the WORST PAIN EVER! I am willing to bet my life that he grinds or clenches his teeth at night. It causes all that you described and no pain meds take it away! (I was taking 2500mg of Vicodin every 4 hours just for a tiny bit of relief.) Actually, what worked better than the Vicodin was Aleve. 2 every 3-4 hours which is above the directions but my doc said was ok. The over the counter grinding guards DON"T WORK! Go to the dentist right away! He'll get a special guard and he will pain free! Don't let this go! It can kill his teeth. They can break, crack and cause a lot more pain than this! I know how bad that hurts and I sympathize with your husband!

PS...When he wakes up in the morning he may recognize that he jaw is tight. That's a sure tell sign right there. Try a heating pad or ice. Ice worked for me, but some say heat. I think it's case by case.

Answer 4

As the infection leaves he will feel better. It should not take too long for the antibiotic to kick in. Ibuprofen is good for infection and pain. He could take up to 6oo milligrams so he could take 3 / 200 mg every couple hours since you have to have a prescription so just take 3 at a time. The dentist is right to wait until the infection is gone before working on him so don't doubt that. If he continues to suffer call the dentist again for stronger pain medicine, but the 600 mg should do it for him.

Answer 5

He may be having trouble with TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorders. Symptoms of TMJ disorders can affect the jaw and jaw joint as well as muscles in the face, shoulder, head, and neck. Common symptoms include joint pain, muscle pain, headaches, joint sounds, difficulty with fully opening the mouth, and jaw locking.

In most cases, symptoms of TM disorders are mild; they tend to come and go without getting worse and usually subside without formal treatment. About 65% to 95% of people who see a health professional for initial TM disorder symptoms will get better regardless of the type of treatment.

Although there is no definitive way to identify a temporomandibular disorder, your health professional can most likely assess your condition with a physical exam and health history. In some cases, an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI is also used to check for bone or soft tissue problems related to temporomandibular disorder symptoms.

Answer 6

If it is a tooth, see a dentist, even if it's not. They come across more things dealing with the neck and head. If he has any puss or really bad breath, get to a dentist, if he has an ongoing dental infection, it can be fatal.

Answer 7

Sounds like a tooth problem to me. A toothache is one of the worse pains there are and it can radiate the pain everywhere. Get him to the dentist and get him on some anti-biotics. I feel for him!!

Answer 8

ee a Dentist and eliminate the obvious first.

I have a chronic pain condition so I know a lot about pain. If ice cream on the tooth hurts then you know you need a dentist. Warm salt water is a classic method used to treat a toothache. Only a toothache is a strong enough can concentrated enough pain to describe what your husband is feeling. Yes, there are other medical conditions, but I am assuming he is an average man, and not the 5% of the population with the oddball pain diseases (like me). If you have him chew sugarless gum with Xytol as a primary ingredient then he can use that to wrap the tooth. It makes a very temporary bandage and it could relieve his pain, until he can get in to see a dentist. Of course make sure that the tooth is cleaned before using the bandage. If this works then that confirms it is a toothache.

Neuralgia is rare: “The disorder generally causes short episodes of excruciating pain, usually for less than two minutes and on only one side of the face. The pain can be described in a variety of ways such as "stabbing," "sharp," "like lightning," "burning," and even "itchy". (see the last entry for more of the Wikipedia quote).

If he has PAIN ATTACKS then it could be neuralgia. If he has CONSTANT pain then it is probably dental.

Tetretol: http://www.drugs.com/tegretol.html
Is not a very good pain medication. Has he tried Motrin, Aleve or Aspirin? If those work then he probably only has a toothache. You doctor prescribed him an anticonvulsant medication that treats pain by stopping the nerves from convulsing. It doesn’t treat the pain itself. Next time ask for Hydrocodone: http://search2.drugs.com/search.php?searchterm=hydrocodone (street name Oxie, so guard the pills) it is a narcotic but a safe one and commonly prescribed by doctors and dentists. The other medications that I named are anti-inflammatories and are the classic ones used to treat pain. They are available over the counter in most stores only Hydrocodone needs a prescription.

Has the doctor run any tests, taken any x-rays or even looked at the tooth? If not then see the dentist. One visit and one x-ray can confirm if it is a toothache or not. Recently I had a toothache that started on my jaw, left side, front, and it stretched into the eye and forehead.

If it is a toothache, then after all this time he will probably need a root canal which costs around $800, depending on a lot of factors. Root canals can be painful, but that pain lasts less than a week. If your husband responds to the Hydrocodone then it will be much easier. Having the tooth pulled will generate about the same pain that lasts a day or two less. If the tooth is a molar then you might want to consider getting it capped ($600 depending). A cap will be structural stronger and transmit the forces down the sides of the tooth to the jaw (yes, I studied structures and dynamics as well and I have had broken teeth).

DON’T even think about taking antibiotics unless he needs them. The dentist will know for sure. If it isn’t a dental problem then the antibiotics won’t do any good, and he will have to face the side effects.

Bo_fra made a good point ice packs will help a toothache and you can try that right now.

If it was a sinus headache then things like Aleve, Motrin and Aspirin will help. The dentist will look carefully for a cavity or dying root. Make sure there is a problem before the dentist starts work. It should be fairly clear on the x-ray, ask to see it. One root canal I had happened in a normally healthy looking tooth. There was no cavity, just an infection inside the tooth. I don’t know how that happened, but the dentist did give me antibiotics for that problem.

crozzroad... is talking about one of those 5% things. I don’t know the actual odds, but they are small. In fact of anything being wrong a toothache would be number 1 on a list. Did the doctor ask you if you had tried a dentist yet?
According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporomandibular
temporomandibular is when the ligaments connecting the jaw to the mandible are affected by something similar to arthritis, or a tumor, or a jaw dislocation. There is no cure for the condition, but dentists are the only ones who treat it.

If it is not a toothache then contact me and I can give additional advice. Check my profile to see my medical condition and to find out how to contact me. I have had several root canals as well.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuralgia
“Neuralgia is a painful disorder of the cranial nerves. Under the general heading of neuralgia are trigeminal neuralgia (TN), atypical facial pain, and postherpetic neuralgia (caused by shingles or herpes). The affected nerves are responsible for sensing touch, temperature and pressure in the facial area from the jaw to the forehead. The disorder generally causes short episodes of excruciating pain, usually for less than two minutes and on only one side of the face. The pain can be described in a variety of ways such as "stabbing," "sharp," "like lightning," "burning," and even "itchy". In the atypical form of TN, the pain can also present as severe or merely aching and last for extended periods. The pain associated with TN is recognized as one of the most excruciating pains that can be experienced.
Simple stimuli such as eating, talking, washing the face, or any light touch or sensation can trigger an attack (even the sensation of a gentle breeze). The attacks can occur in clusters or as an isolated attack. Some patients will have a muscle spasm which led to the original term for TN of "tic douloureux" ("tic" meaning spasm and "douloureux" meaning painful in French).

Neuralgia is a form of chronic pain and can be extremely difficult to diagnose. Patients usually show no physical abnormalities, and with the attacks generally lasting a very short time, it can be difficult to reach a doctor before the attack is over. Postherpetic neuralgia is the easiest to diagnose because it follows an obvious cause (shingles).

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuralgia
"Neuralgia is rare, especially in those under 30. Women are more likely to be affected than men, and those over 50 are at the greatest risk. In some cases, multiple sclerosis is related to nerve damage, causing the pain, so doctors will likely ask about family history to help diagnose. Nothing unusual can be seen in brain scans, so diagnosis is usually based on the description of the symptoms.

Medication for seizures has shown promise in managing neuralgia, and some people have found relief with surgery, though not always permanent relief.”

Answer 9

Try a dentist, may be an abcess or an infection.